CAMPAIGNERS against gas mining have declared they will not back down despite police warning they could be arrested if they repeat yesterday’s blockade stunt.
About 15 members of the Limestone Coast Protection Alliance swarmed in front of two oversized heavy vehicles entering Beach Energy’s new conventional Haselgrove-3 exploration site south of Penola yesterday.
It is understood a number of activists defied direct orders to move away from the trucks, with police warning they could be arrested.
According to activists, police also cautioned them against repeating these actions at future protest events.
Alliance chair Merilyn Paxton said police pushed protesters away from the path of the incoming trucks, which were carrying parts of the drilling rig.
“We did a protest swarm in front of the trucks – we managed to delay them for about 15 minutes,” Ms Paxton said at the scene yesterday.
She said police were at the site from 7.30am yesterday and the two large trucks were escorted to the site with private security.
The high-profile campaigner said she was not going to stop protesting despite the possibility of being arrested.
“Quite frankly, I am not going to back down – this is something I am passionate about and believe in,” Ms Paxton said.
Limestone Coast officer in charge Superintendent Grant Moyle said while people had the right to protest, they needed to respect the fact Beach Energy had the right to conduct its lawful business on the site.
He warned police would take the appropriate action if the law was breached.
“If there are any breaches of the law, then police will deal with that at the time – there must be no misunderstanding, we will not tolerate breaches of the law,” Supt Moyle said.
He said the site – which was adjacent the Riddoch Highway – was dangerous given the traffic.
“It is a dangerous place for people to be wandering around,” Supt Moyle said.
Beach Energy South East regional manager Glenn Toogood said people had the right to protest, but activists needed to respect the fact the company had a legal right to operate at the site.
He said Beach had the legal approvals to undertake the Haselgrove-3 project.
Mr Toogood said safety of workers and the community was “paramount” for Beach.
The regional executive said the project remained on track and the two loads yesterday were brought onto the site safely.
Mr Toogood also reiterated the operations at the site would be purely conventional and there were no plans to undertake hydraulic fracturing – known as fracking – at the site.
Meanwhile, Ms Paxton renewed her warning people should not be complacent over the expansion of gas mining in the South East.
“This is an exploration conventional well and while it will be drilled in a conventional manner, I have had information from the Department of State Development they are looking at shale and tight gas,” she said.
“Haselgrove-3 is a Trojan horse which will open the door to fracking in the Limestone Coast and could lead to over 3000 wells across the region.
“The communities of the Limestone Coast do not want to see any form of gas exploration or extraction in the South East.
“The Limestone Coast Protection Alliance has surveyed nearly 50 communities with an average of 96pc of people in those communities opposed to gasfields in the region.
“We do not want to jeopardise our water, fresh air and reputation as a provider of clean and green produce in our state, nationally and across the world.”
Fellow protester Will Legoe said he joined activists at the site because he feared gas mining would impact on the region’s agricultural sector.
“I really want the public of the South East to get behind the movement against this,” Mr Legoe said.
“The mining companies are ignoring the community and the State Government is supplying funds for companies to go ahead with it.”
He claimed it appeared the Beach Energy operation – including the housing of staff – would be contained on site with little money flowing to the regional economy.
High-profile grazier and campaigner Tony Beck said the government was subsidising companies such as Beach Energy to undertake the operations.
“They would have to drill more than one a week in South Australia to satisfy the state’s energy needs,” Mr Beck said.
He rejected claims new gas production would reduce energy costs for consumers.
